Surfer lucky to be alive after shark attack at remote beach

Lucy Rickard and Aleisha Orr

A 34-year-old surfer - believed to originally be from Newcastle in NSW - is reported to be in a stable condition in a Perth hospital after surviving a shark attack at a remote WA beach yesterday.

The man, understood to be camping with his family, was surfing at Red Bluff, about 150 kilometres north of Carnarvon in the state's Gascoyne region.

Newcastle sources believe the victim's name is Jon Hines.

A Royal Perth hospital spokeswoman said the man was undergoing surgery this morning for his injuries.

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Margaret River based surfing legend Jeff Goulden who goes by the name of "Camel" pulled the man out of the water after the attack.

Margaret River Surfrider Foundation president, Gene Hardy said it sounded like something Camel would do.

"He's a big wave surfer, he has no fear, for sure he'd put him on his big board and take him in," Mr Hardy said.

Mr Hardy said Camel was an eccentric character who had been part of the Margaret River surf scene for years.

The man was initially bitten around the abdomen about 3.30pm at a popular tourist beach, where there were reportedly numerous surfers in the water.

After the man tried to fight the shark off, he was bitten a second time on the arm.

He was pulled from the water, conscious and in good spirits, and driven in a private car to Carnarvon Hospital, a two-hour drive on unsealed roads, from the remote beach.

He arrived at the hospital about 6pm - accompanied by his family - and was then airlifted to RPH for further treatment late last night.

A woman who was on the beach with her children at the time of the attack told the ABC the man was in good spirits when he was pulled from the water.

Rebecca Caldwell said her children were in the water when the attack occurred, but said neither she nor her children saw the shark.

"The water was full of blood," she said.

"He was conscious the whole way back [to Carnarvon] though he was OK, he was good.

"He's in good spirits, as well as he could be."

Margaret River surf instructor Josh Palmateer told ABC radio the victim was an experienced surfer and that shark attacks in the area were uncommon.

"This is the first one I've heard of - and I've been going up there for 20 years," he said.

"I think Hinesy was there with his brother and a couple of mates on a trip."

Shire of Carnarvon CEO Maurice Battalina said it was the first shark attack along the Ningaloo Coast in recent memory.

He said it was presently the end of peak season for tourists and that beaches had been closed in the area following the attack yesterday.

The beach at Red Bluff remains closed this morning.

Fisheries Department shark response unit spokesman Tony Cappelluti said fisheries officers would spend the day in the area to make people aware of the situation.

"In such a remote location it is impossible to use the normal mediums to get messages out," he said.

It is not known what type of shark was involved in yesterday's attack but the Fisheries Department said waters that far north were mainly inhabited by tropical species - although great whites have also been known to migrate through the area.

Mr Cappelluti said there was no information to suggest anyone saw the shark.

"We haven't talked to the victim yet either," he said.

Mr Cappelluti said tiger sharks were often seen in the area and had been responsible for attacks in the past but without any sightings of the shark it was difficult to speculate if a tiger shark could have been involved.

Yesterday's incident was the sixth serious shark attack in WA in the past 14 months; the other five have all been fatalities.

Speaking on ABC radio this morning, Premier Colin Barnett said the WA government had received advice on installing shark nets at popular beaches but that he believed they trapped sharks as much as keeping them out.

He also pointed out all six attacks in WA since last July had been at relatively remote locations rather than well-populated spots.

July 2012: Ben Linden, 24, was fatally mauled by a five-metre great white about 160 kilometre north of Perth.

March 2012: Peter Kurmann, 33, was killed by a shark while diving off Stratham Beach, near Busselton, about 200 kilometres south-west of Perth.

October 2011: Bryn Martin, 64, was believed to have been taken by a shark while swimming at Cottesloe beach near Perth.

October 2011: American tourist George Wainwright, 32, was mauled by a shark while diving about 500 metres off Rottnest Island.

September 2011: Kyle Burden, 21, was killed by a shark while bodyboarding at Bunker Bay, near Dunsborough, about 300 kilometres south-west of Perth.